Tourism sites to get funding for infrastructure improvements

Tourist sites throughout Tayside and Fife are to share part of a £3 million windfall to help make the great outdoors more attractive to visitors.

St Cyrus National Nature Reserve will receive more than £200,000 from the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund to improve parking at the attraction close to the Angus border.

In Fife, £375,000 will go towards an infrastructure partnership project which will boost tourism facilities and electric vehicle charging provision for visitors.

And more than £300,000 is to be given to Perth and Kinross Council to upgrade facilities for Loch Leven Heritage Trail users.

The spend is part of a drive to help popular spots cope with increasing visitor numbers.

Last summer saw huge numbers take advantage of the relaxation of lockdown and glorious weather.

But the popularity of the great outdoors led to problems of overflowing car parks, choked rural roads and complaints over littering and so- called dirty camping.

At St Cyrus, £201,925 will be used by Aberdeenshire Council and Naturescot to provide 40 extra parking spaces for cars and motorhomes.

The Fife scheme is a par tnership initiative between Fife Council and Fife Countryside Trust.

The money will be used to provide a network of parking , toilets, interpretative and renewable energy points for EV and EB charging, serving the Fife Coastal Path, the Pilgrims Way and Fife 191 driving route.

A yet-to-be confirmed sum will also be spent on improving toilet provision in Glenshee.

Pink-footed geese take flight at Loch Leven.